The present invention relates generally to electronically controlled animal food dispensers.
Many kinds of animal food dispensers are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,962,997 to Ruth describes an animal feeder that conveys food from a storage bin by means of an auger to a plate from which an animal can eat. The feeder is not electronically controlled, however. U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,862 to Pitchford, Jr. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,171 to Essex also use augers to dispense food.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,171 to Ewell describes an automatic pet food dispenser that serves solid food and drinking water in separate dishes to an animal. Pressure sensors are provided underneath each dish and are connected to a microprocessor. The microprocessor controls filling of the dishes from a water supply tank and a feed hopper. The pressure sensors signal the microprocessor when to fill and when to stop filling the dishes. The feed mechanism from the feed hopper includes a motor driven, sliding plate at the bottom of the hopper that permits the contents of the hopper to flow down into the feed dish.
Other representative food dispensers include U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,364 to Hessenhauer, which describes an automatic pet food dispenser that employs a rotating tube to dispense food. U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,300 to Mezhinsky describes an automatic dry food feeder that employs rotating segmented flexible vanes to dispense food.
The food dispensers of the art suffer from several drawbacks. Augers are an effective conveyance means for seeds and small particles, but are not generally suitable for large particles, such as alfalfa cubes. The large particles tend to become broken when traveling through the auger. This is disadvantageous because some animals prefer chewing the large particles. More importantly, since the feed becomes broken, it is virtually impossible to ensure that the animal is being fed the proper amount of food according to veterinarian instructions. The rotary types of feeders mentioned above can be suitable for large particles, but take up significantly more volume than augers and are more expensive.
Another drawback of the prior art is that the automatic weighing devices of the art, such as that of Ewell, are not applicable for ensuring highly accurate dispensing of food to a multiplicity of animals.
The present invention seeks to provide an improved animal food dispenser that has several advantages over the prior art, and which solves the abovementioned problems of the prior art. The present invention provides a uniquely shaped auger housing that can convey solid, relatively hard food particles to a food dish without danger of breaking the food particles.
In addition, the present invention employs a load cell placed intermediate a food hopper and a solid food dish, which controls the amount of food in the dish. An electronic valve is placed intermediate a liquid supply line and a liquid food dish, which controls the amount of liquid, e.g., water, present in the liquid food dish. The food dishes have load cells mounted underneath them to monitor the amount of food and liquid the animal ate and drank.
It is important to note an advantage of the present invention over the prior art. In the prior art, load cells are provided only at the individual food and water dishes. These load cells indicate whether the weight of the dish is below a lower threshold or above an upper threshold. If the dish weight is below the lower threshold, then the dish is filled with food or water. If the dish weight is above the upper threshold, then the filling is stopped. Thus, the dish load cells control the amount of food or water present in the food or water dish.
In contrast, in the present invention, the dish load cells do not control the amount of food or water present in the solid and liquid food dishes. Instead the intermediate load cell controls the amount of food and the electronic valve controls the amount of liquid. The intermediate load cell has the added benefit of providing information regarding the level of food remaining in hopper. In the prior art, the dish load cells cannot provide this information and the user does not know how much food is left in the hopper. Other advantages of the present invention will become apparent to the skilled artisan from the description hereinbelow.
There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a food dispenser including a feed hopper for storing therein animal food, a food dish for serving thereon the animal food to an animal, weighing apparatus including a load cell placed intermediate the food hopper and the food dish, a dispensing device operative to dispense food from the weighing apparatus to the food dish, and a controller in electrical communication with the load cell and the actuator, which controls dispensation of the animal food to the food dish.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a feeder mechanism is provided that includes an auger journaled in a housing, the housing including an inlet in communication with the hopper, the feeder mechanism being operative to convey food from the hopper to the weighing apparatus.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the housing has a generally pear-shaped inner volume defined by a generally cylindrical portion in which the auger rotates, and a tapered portion above the cylindrical portion.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the feeder mechanism further includes a motor operatively connected to the auger for rotating the auger.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a control panel is in electrical communication with the controller, mounted on the hopper for displaying pertinent information related to feeding of an animal.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a volume sensor is mounted in the hopper that constantly monitors a volume of the animal food in the hopper.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the load cell is placed upon a weighing platform, and the dispensing device includes an electronic lock device in electrical communication with the controller, the lock device supporting the weighing platform, the lock device being selectively opened by the controller, thereby moving the platform to an open position and permitting passage of food from the weighing apparatus to the food dish.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the dispensing device includes an actuator that moves the platform from the open position to a closed position. Preferably another load cell is mounted below the food dish in electrical communication with the controller.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention an electronic valve is in electrical communication with the controller, operative to control flow of a liquid from a supply line to a liquid food dish. Preferably an additional load cell is mounted below the liquid food dish in electrical communication with the controller.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a pressure relief device is provided that relieves overpressure in the hopper. Preferably the pressure relief device includes a frangible metal strip.